Why Don't 'the Poor' Make Common Cause? The Importance of Subgroups

Analyses that regard 'the poor' as a sociological category need to take account of recent studies quantifying the extent of flux within these ranks. Frequent movements into and out of poverty regularly refresh the pool of the poor. Large numbers of poor people were not born poor: they have descended into poverty, some quite recently. Concurrently, many formerly poor people have escaped from poverty. Distinct subgroups are defined by these divergent trajectories. Members of different subgroups have diverse economic needs, political interests and mobilisation potential, making cohesive action as a political force unlikely (and certainly uncertain) among all of 'the poor'. Policies to assist poor people will be more effective, and political analysis will yield more fruitful results, if instead of working with any generic category of 'the poor' heed is taken of subgroup-specific experiences and demands.